The Race Class Narrative (RCN) Community exists to support SEIU’s continued shift to a race class analysis so as to foster the cross-racial solidarity that allows us to win on issues impacting working people. The Community is a permanent, dedicated space for communicators, organizers, campaign staff, and others to share new race class learnings, troubleshoot messaging challenges and develop new messaging around emerging issues.
The Community is a space where staff from the IU and SEIU Locals are engaged in an ongoing, iterative process on how to best use the Race-Class Analysis & Narrative and develop new messaging around key issues. The team makes connections between messaging frameworks in and beyond the Race Class Narrative and serves as a cadre of staff who are able to build the capacity of others to utilize our analysis.
Most importantly, the Community is instrumental in developing the competence and confidence of staff to apply the Race Class Analysis and Narrative framework to their campaigns and internal communications.
Our Values
The RCN Learning Community is built upon the recognition that as a union, our messaging and organizing will be stronger when staff work together. We believe:
- Everyone has something to contribute. Each Community member – whether they are an organizer, communicator, meeting and events team member, political staffer, etc. – has a valuable contribution to make to the space and we honor their unique knowledge and wisdom.
- We need one another. It sometimes feels like our world is going to hell in a handbasket. And that our fights are unwinnable. Or that our policy dreams are being dashed. But we can all benefit from laughter, rejuvenating fellowship and fun to continue the fight. The RCN Learning Community is as much about community as it is about learning, and as comrades, we will strive to create a fun and imaginative and creative space that allows members to be genuine, honest and open about what they are experiencing in and beyond the work. We also recognize that deeper and more genuine learning often happens when we sit in deep community with others and cheer on their success. That’s exactly the community we aim to create.
We are all learners and growing practitioners. All Community members are continually improving their practice and application of the Race Class Narrative. The Community is a judgment-free space where members can experiment, take risks, challenge our assumptions and make mistakes. We expect the Community to include a diversity of practitioners at various expertise levels. We also acknowledge that growth can be simultaneously energizing, inspiring, messy and uncomfortable. We encourage members to lean into all these elements and use the Community as a brave space to be transparent and courageous about their current work.
Member Agreements & Expectations
To participate in the RCN Community, members must agree to abide by the group’s guidelines for participation and respect. These guidelines ensure the Community remains a supportive space for everyone. As the Community grows, we encourage members to add additional elements to these guidelines that will foster deep solidarity among members.
There are several expectations of RCN Community members.
- Team Designations. Relevant campaign and departmental teams (Communications, Organizing, Politics, FF15, etc.) should designate at least one person to participate in the Community who has the capacity and excitement to attend periodic meetings and move occasional work around the Race Class Narrative. Members are expected to take new learnings back to their teams and most importantly, participate in the Community voluntarily.
- Active participation. Members of the Community will get what they put into the group. To ensure the Community is a rich and vibrant space, it is the expectation that members will not only bring their messaging challenges and roadblocks to the group, but will also help others as they implement the Race Class and other narrative frames. Providing feedback on content, attending periodic meetings, and assisting with joint pieces of work will ensure all members are co-creators, not just spectators to the work of the Community.
- Throw Glitter, Not Shade. The Learning Community is a space to bolster our organization’s RCN practice, address challenges and showcase successes. Community members should provide feedback in the spirit of strengthening our collective work.
How can I be down? I want to join the community?
Soon-to-be Community members can request information about upcoming workshops through our “Contact Us” form. Existing members can view all upcoming workshops and events on the site’s calendar. This page is updated regularly and includes workshop and events host by SEIU and partner organizations.
What’s the relationship between the RCN Community and Purple Echo?
What’s the relationship to the RCN Community and Purple Echo? Race Class Narrative Community is our sister network and we collaborate on events, workshops, and issue-specific messaging. While the Race Class Narrative Community includes many communicators, its membership includes other RCN practitioners including organizers, political staff, researchers, and racial justice staff. While allied, the RCN Community is instrumental in developing the competence and confidence of staff to apply the Race Class Analysis and Narrative Framework to their campaigns and internal communications. Purple Echo is our community network for communicators and digital staff across the SEIUniverse (both at the Local and International level). This network helps communications and digital staff connect, collaborate, and create to save time, alleviate problems, and amplify important work of the union.
